Nestlé Nutritional Compass

Country: Global

Impact Area

Background

A NEW APPROACH TO LABELLING:On-pack information helps consumers understand the nutrition information on our products.

Packaging is an ideal medium for providing consumers with clear, practical nutritional information, as it reaches the consumer at the point of purchase, preparation or consumption.

Programme description

But while discussions continue about the best approach to food labelling, we have introduced the Nestlé Nutritional Compass®, an on-pack information panel that provides consumers with relevant, easy-to-understand nutrition information, empowering them to make informed decisions about the food they eat.

The Nestlé Nutritional Compass® has four elements:

A standardised nutrient table giving amounts per 100g, per serving and as a percentage of Guideline Daily Amount

A “Good to Know” panel explaining ingredients or nutrients relating to the product, such as fat, sugar, fibre or calcium content

A “Good to Remember” panel with tips for responsible product enjoyment and its place in a daily balanced diet

A “Good to Talk” panel with contact details and links to consumer services, websites and other materials

By December 2008, the Nestlé Nutritional Compass appeared on product packaging representing 98% of our total sales volume around the world. We aim to continuously keep it at that level, even with the high rate of new product launches, and ideally increase it to 100%.

Value to Society

We believe taste and nutrition must go hand in hand, and that a healthy diet is all about variety and balance. We invest in Nutritional Compass labelling, portion guidance on products and packs, and nutrition education programmes around the world.

Measuring progress against our promise to provide consumers with clear, practical nutritional information on packaging is a considerable undertaking, not least because our worldwide portfolio of products is constantly evolving and expanding. Determining the success of global initiatives such as the Nestlé Nutritional Compass® are time-consuming and resource-intensive. Studies are also costly, and could be seen as biased if conducted by Nestlé, yet cross-industry groups are unlikely to want to conduct such surveys.

In June 2007, Nestlé commissioned an independent consultancy to conduct research into consumer perceptions of the Nestlé Nutritional Compass in 11 countries, using both face-to-face and online questioning. Almost half (45%) of those interviewed were aware of the Nestlé Nutritional Compass®, which was also rated above ordinary on-pack nutritional tables where sampled.

At the end of 2013, around 92.5% of the foods and beverages we sell worldwide were displaying the innovative Nestlé Nutritional Compass®.